n Saturday, The Bangor Daily News kicked off its annual Santa’s Helper Fund, a fund-raising effort in support of the Salvation Army. Located in Bangor, the Salvation Army provides assistance in the form of food, clothing and toys for children to a wide region of Maine.

All money collected through Santa’s Helper goes directly back to the areas where the donations originated in the form of support and comfort during the holiday season.

This holiday season is expected to be especially hard for many families in our neighborhoods and across the region served by the Salvation Army.

Because of circumstances beyond their control, many families will face extreme hardship this winter and a Christmas holiday may be out of the picture without the generous help of others. Increased fuel costs and job layoffs are just two of the major obstacles that have a severe impact on families already struggling to make ends meet.

Your contribution to the Santa’s Helper Fund, no matter how large or small, will definitely make a huge difference in the lives of children and families in this region. Please consider adding to your Christmas list a donation to this important fund-raising effort.

You may never know the impact your gift makes, but you can rest assured it helps.

All donations are deposited in a special account and a check for the full amount collected will be presented to the Salvation Army. This service means that the Salvation Army can concentrate on the important business of processing applications and preparing Christmas boxes for needy families.

Donations may be sent to Santa’s Helper Fund, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329. Donors’ names and dollar amounts will be published in the Santa’s Helper column daily. Donors who wish to remain anonymous will be listed as such, followed by their donation amounts.

Anyone with questions about the Santa’s Helper Fund can call the Salvation Army at 941-2990.